Say Must Pay For Years Of Devastation In Ogoniland
The National Union of Ogoni Students (NUOS) USA, Centre for Democracy Human Rights and Anti- Corruption (CDHRAC) and Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) have urged the Federal Government and President Bola Tinubu to reject the Royal Dutch Shell’s purported “backdoor sale and place caveat emporium and buy at your own risk of its onshore activities,” arguing that Ogoni Oil is not for sale or transfer.

The group, in a statement jointly signed by the President of NOUS USA, Pius Barikpoa Nwinee; its acting Secretary General, Deekor Adokor; Coordinator, CDHRAC, USA, Cornelius Dumerenee, and its Secretary General, Toate Ganago stated that Shell has liabilities ranging from the burning of over 17 Ogoni towns and villages, as well as engaging in activities that lead to the devastation of Ogoniland, maintaining that it has to answer to the numerous oil spillage cases in different courts.

“Nigeria is a sovereign nation and Shell cannot ask the President of Nigeria to shield it from wrongdoing and wrongful compensation under litigation in all different courts, both lower and higher.

“Asking the president to approve such a deal amounts to Shell asking the president to do its bidding or dirty work and undercut by the Nigerian courts at the expense of Nigerians and this is unacceptable.

“Shell cannot sell Ogoni Oil, particularly OML 11 because Ogoni Oil is not for sale or transfer. It is time Shell takes absolute responsibility for its neglect and negligence of crisis-crossing and using sub standard and outdated corrosive pipes and equipment,” they said.

The groups stated further that they were tired of “Shell’s gaslighting, and pot calling kettle black presumptions, blaming and scapegoating the people as sabotage or engaging in illegal oil bunkers.”

They added that after 100 years of oil prospecting Shell and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) now wants to pass the buck to others, which is not acceptable.

“It is laughable to note that a tenant in the Niger Delta Region, the Royal Dutch Shell, which we evicted from our land based on over 30 years of deception is deceiving members of the public on the oil it doesn’t have and will never have.”

The groups stressed that selling Shell Oil’s onshore activities wouldn’t only lead to antitrust, but would lead to petroleum price hike that has since crushed the nation’s fragile economy.

According to the groups, almost all the previous administrations in the country have done little or nothing to develop Ogoniland in Rivers State, which they said, has been suffering deprivation owing to oil spillage and total neglect.

The groups maintained that the people of Ogoniland have suffered the devastation of their ecosystems and land, adding that the planned sale of Shell should not eliminate the need for the company to compensate the people of Ogoniland for the years of devastation they suffered from the company.